Lab Crunches is Bio‑Rad Antibodies’ expert blog covering antibody selection, validation, and experimental best practices across flow cytometry, western blotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunology research, and more.
In this blog, we discuss the problems that arise with the use of HKPs in different research contexts and how total protein normalization (TPN) could provide a solution.
Stay up to date with the latest research, techniques, and discoveries in antibody science. Choose your topic and/or application, or simply browse.
Show filters
In this blog, we will discuss the shapeshifting cancer cells that can reside within us, continually transforming to evade detection and destruction.
This blog discusses how iron affects CAR T cells, why ferroptosis may contribute to CAR T-cell dysfunction, and what this could mean for improving cancer immunotherapy.
In this blog, we discuss how the ZE5 Cell Analyzer can characterize individual nanoscale particles, including bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
This blog examines recent research on why bird flu, which affects the lungs in most mammals, appears in the udders of cows.
In this blog, we discuss how AI could be used to simplify and streamline the execution of flow cytometry experiments.
In this blog, we discuss proper documentation and image verification techniques for western blotting experiments to help you generate publication-ready blots.
In this blog, we explore the key signs of ageing instrumentation, from downtime and software limitations to throughput, automation, and panel complexity.
This blog explains how gut microbes communicate with microglia, why microglial function is critical for brain health, how this relationship changes across life, and what it means for future research and therapies.
Discover the real differences between Stain-Free and No-Stain western blotting. Compare speed, sensitivity, workflow, and equipment to choose the best method.
In this blog, we discuss a recent paper by Wei et al. (2026), which uncovered a new mechanism by which tumor cells use the nervous system to bolster their position in the body.
In this blog, we discuss how flow cytometry is used to support cancer immunotherapy research, from characterizing immune cell populations to understanding treatment responses.
In this blog, we discuss how flow cytometry was used to examine metastatic dormancy, revealing a new role for immune cells in regulating this process.
Improve flow cytometry sample quality with practical tips, troubleshooting advice, and optimisation strategies covering cell harvesting, viability, fixation, and tissue preparation.
In this article, we speak to Professor Ruth Roberts about her career in science.
In this blog, we’ve compiled our top tips and steps to follow when designing multicolor flow cytometry panels.
In this blog, we discuss the effect of stress on the immune system and whether mindfulness has scientific merit in counteracting its influence.
In this blog, we discuss the role of the brain in anticipating infection, priming the immune system, and avoiding the spread of sickness.
In this blog, we explore the intricate role of ADP-ribosylation in health and disease.
In this blog, we have compiled our top ten tips to assist you with the selection of fluorophores for your imaging experiments.
Why do some cells eat their neighbors alive? Explore entosis, the form of cell cannibalism found in many tumors, and whether it helps or hinders cancer.
In this blog, we discuss the realities of pig-to-human lung transplantation.
In this blog, we discuss a recent study that used CAR T-cell therapy in a subset of gastric cancer patients
In this blog, we explore the clinical significance of teplizumab for type 1 diabetes.
In this blog, we will discuss the role of T cells in the vaccine-induced immune response and the key challenges in achieving long-lasting and broad-spectrum immunity.
Can a foal’s gut microbiome predict its future on the racecourse? We explore new research linking early-life gut bacteria to equine health and racing success.
In this blog, we discuss how CAR T cell-therapy could be used to treat autoimmune disease.
In this blog, we discuss a new approach to selectively targeting diseased cells in motor neuron disease.
Neural stem cell aging reduces the brain’s ability to make new neurons. Discover how CRISPR screens linked it to glucose uptake and found ways to restore it.
In this blog, we delve into the specific effects of sleep on the immune response.
In this blog, we discuss a recent paper studying the effect of depleting Tregs in lung cancer treatment.
In this blog, we discuss the effectiveness of brain stimulation as a home-based treatment for depression.
In this blog, we speak to Prof Ana Domingos about her career.
In this blog, we discuss how bsAbs are gaining traction as a novel treatment strategy for NSCLC and showing great promise in combination therapy in clinical trials.
In this blog, we speak to Prof Dawn Bowdish about her career.
In this blog, we discuss recent advances in bacterial cancer therapy (BCT).
In this blog, we discuss a recent paper by Parr-Cortes et al. (2024) which investigates how human stress affects the emotional state of dogs.
In this blog, we discuss a new study highlighting the negative impact of smoking on the immune system.
In this blog, we speak to Professor Hugh Perry, who collaborated with Siamon to advance our understanding of macrophages in the brain, about his career journey in neuroimmunology.
In this blog, we will discuss the pathological implications associated with IL-17A and current therapeutic treatments for diseases.
In this blog, we discuss a recent study investigating how genetics influences happiness across different ages and ancestral backgrounds.
Some gut bacteria have a thirst for human blood. Explore bacterial vampirism, how Salmonella hunts down serum, and what it could mean for preventing sepsis.
In this blog, we discuss the use of genetically engineered pigs for heart xenotransplantation.
In this blog, we speak to Professor Hsi-Hsien Lin, who worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Siamon’s lab, about his career to date.
In this blog, we discuss the approval of donanemab, a monoclonal antibody designed to target and clear amyloid plaques in the brain, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
In this blog, we discuss best practices for titrating your antibodies for flow cytometry.
In this blog, we discuss new insights about how DCs control immune responses in the tumor microenvironment and the implications for immunotherapy.
We spoke to Professor Luisa Martinez-Pomares about her career path and research interests.
In this blog, we discuss the efficacy of a small molecule for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
We spoke to Professor Alan Ezekowitz, who undertook his doctoral studies in Siamon’s lab, about his diverse scientific career.
In this blog, we discuss some of the key findings implicating the brain as a master manipulator of the immune system and disease states.
In this blog, we discuss a recent paper by Herbst et al. (2023) in which they shine a new light on the mechanisms that drive purring in cats.
We spoke to Professor Jon Austyn, Siamon’s first graduate student who carried out the original research identifying F4/80, about his remarkable scientific career.
In this blog, we cover some key considerations to keep in mind when presenting your data, with a particular focus on the differences between an external and internal audience.
In this blog, we discuss the recent approval of dostarlimab (Jemperli), a PD-1 inhibitor, in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for endometrial cancer.
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Bio-Rad invites researchers to share their own experiences of being a woman in science. In this article, we speak to Dr Helen Wright about her career.
In this blog, we discuss a recent discovery showing that the protein CD5L is associated with immunoglobulin M in the circulation.
In this blog, we discuss some of the research investigating the beneficial effects of exercise on anticancer immunity.
We spoke to Professor Lynn Morris about her impressive scientific career, from working on F4/80 in Professor Gordon’s lab as a student to her significant achievements in HIV research and vaccine discovery.
In this blog, we will discuss the different methods utilized to treat Crohn's disease, including the more commonly used biologics and the newly approved Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, upadacitinib.
In this blog, we take a look at a new class of drugs, known as senolytics, that target so-called “zombie” cells and how this provides the potential to treat diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease.
In this blog, we discuss new research from Meyer et al. (2022), suggesting that mild manipulation from T. gondii increases a gray wolf’s risk-taking behaviors, with potentially fatal consequences.
In this blog, we will discuss what RBD is, treatments for the condition, and what is thought to cause it. We will also look at the link between this rare sleep disorder and the onset of certain neurodegenerative disorders.
Siamon Gordon co-discovered F4/80, the best-known mouse macrophage marker. He shares how clone Cl:A3-1 was made and why macrophages hooked him.
In this blog, we discuss the concept of immunometabolism, including a new study published by Hooftman et al. (2023) in Nature showing how a molecule derived from mitochondrial metabolism can trigger inflammation, providing insights into the versatile functions of these organelles beyond energy production.
This blog discusses how both UV radiation and non-UV pathways can promote melanoma.
In this blog we’ve compiled our top tips to make your writing process as easy (or at least tolerable) as possible.
This blog outline what is currently known about depression and anti-depressants, in the context of brain biochemistry.
In this blog, we discuss the results and clinical implications of this new study investigating the benefits of FMT in cats.
This blog discusses a recently discovered form of regulated cell death known as erebosis, found in the guts of fruit flies.
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Bio-Rad invited researchers to share their own experiences of being a woman in science. In this article, we speak to Associate Professor Carolyn Carr about her career.
In this blog, we take a look at the career of Dr Philippa Marrack, an immunologist whose research helped shed light on T cell development and function.
At Bio-Rad, we recognize the need for cutting-edge flow cytometry at all stages of the drug discovery process, so we have partnered with Xybion to provide a solution for compliance-ready flow cytometry with the ZE5 Cell Analyzer.
This blog takes a look at a study by Bergström et al. that examined the DNA from ancient wolves to help answer the origins of dogs from wolf populations.
This blog discusses viruses like herpes simplex and hepatitis B, that like a zombie return once you think they have been defeated.
In this guest blog, we dive into the structure and function of myelin and the consequences of myelin-associated diseases.
In this blog, Lab Crunches Editor, Kimberley Bryon-Dodd shares her journey from scientist to science communicator and her top tips for getting started in this field.
In this guest blog, the 2021 Bio-Rad Science Writing Competition Winner, Keira Lee Rice, discusses the placenta.
Where do new genes come from? This guest blog by Md Hassan Uz-Zaman discusses this question and how our view on this has evolved over time.
In this guest blog, Katie Lowles discusses mucins, proteins that form protective mucous barriers in epithelial cells, and recent research highlighting the therapeutic potential of mucins.
This blog discusses xenotransplantation, the groundbreaking experimental procedure, where a man with end stage heart failure received a donor heart from a genetically-modified pig.
This blog discusses some best practices for storing and using your antibodies to get the most out of them in your experiments.
In this blog, we discuss Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRSS)-resistant pigs and how this could help alleviate the economic burden of porcine disease.
If your IP technique is something that you are trying to improve, this blog has advice to help you to get better immunoprecipitation results.
In this blog, we discuss the importance of antibody validation and highlight steps you can take to ensure you generate publication-quality data.
This blog was awarded 3rd place in the 2021 Bio-Rad Science Writing Competition.
This blog gives an overview of the history of the STimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway and highlights why pharmaceutical companies are making a beeline to develop STING agonists.
This blog highlights the threat that canine distemper virus poses to the Amur tiger and discusses whether vaccinating these tigers could help protect them from extinction.
This blog highlights the basic principles of spectral flow cytometry and some of its advantages over conventional flow cytometry.
AKT is an extremely important kinase in human health, playing an intricate role in coordinating fundamental signaling pathways. This blog discusses a “hotspot” mutation, called E17K, that can cause constant AKT activation and wreak havoc on cell homeostasis.
In this guest blog, Christine Lalonde, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Laurentian University, Canada, shares her experience of a multidisciplinary research career and her tips for others starting out in a multidisciplinary field.
This guest blog takes a look at pattern recognition receptors and how they mount an immune response against viruses.
Design robust experiments and troubleshoot existing protocols for measuring apoptosis by flow cytometry, by following the advice in this blog.
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Bio-Rad invited researchers to share their own experiences of being a women in science. In this article, we speak to Assistant Professor Lynda Coughlan about her career.
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Bio-Rad invited researchers to share their own experiences of being a women in science. In this article, we speak to Professor Sara Mole about her career.
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Bio-Rad invited researchers to share their own experiences of being a women in science. In this article, we speak to Olivia Blondheim, a PhD Student at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Biology.
Learn about the different tools for studying apoptosis by flow cytometry and how to use them to get the best results.
This blog discusses the CRISPR technology that was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Guest contributor Zill-e-Anam Shares her tips for staying on track when you have to switch PhD project, for reasons outside of your control.
In this blog, we will explain what alamarBlue is and how it works, and then explore three main benefits of this reagent.
This blog will take you through the basics of IP so you can get successful results from the outset.
In this guest blog, we discuss ghost tangles, the remains of tau (found after neuronal death), and their effects.
This blog describes the forces that cells undergo during sorting, and practical steps you can take to minimize cell stress and get great results in your downstream applications, like RNA sequencing.
This blog takes a look at the career of June Almeida, who became a pioneer in the imaging and identification of viruses.
This blog discusses the reasons why non-animal derived recombinant antibodies are something that both antibody suppliers and researchers should consider.
The winners of the 2020 Bio-Rad Science Writing Competition are revealed.
In this blog, our Flow Cytometry Research Associate shares 9 top tips to generate publication-worthy flow plots in a format that reviewers would like to see.
Sometimes our immune systems launch an excessive, disproportionate response to a real infection, called a "cytokine storm". This blog looks at cytokine storms and the role they may play in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March all over the world to highlight the many achievements of women. To mark the occasion, in this blog, we take a look at three female scientists who have made major contributions to the antibody field.
This blog post focuses on BrdU and top tips and tricks for conducting a BrdU labeling experiment to help you troubleshoot any BrdU blues.
This blog tells the story of rapamycin’s discovery, identification of the mTOR signaling pathway, and highlights the important role that basic research plays in translational medicine.
This blog is written to help you perfect your IHC-paraffin technique. It focuses on some of the key stages so that you can achieve publication-quality results.
Bio-Rad's Flow Cytometry Research Associate, Sharon shares her experience of transitioning from academic research to working in an industry setting in this blog.
In this blog, we take a look at sandwich and competitive ELISAs and highlight some of our top ELISA tips.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs) are widely used for the detection and quantification of proteins, peptides, hormones, and other substances in a sample. This two-part blog looks at the four main types: direct, indirect, sandwich and competitive ELISAs.
This blog discusses phosphorylation, a common regulator of signal transduction pathways and the role of inappropriate phosphorylation events in cancer.
In this guest blog, Dr Elisa Vitiello shares her tips on making the transition from being a PhD student to getting your first job in academic research as a postdoc.
This blog takes a look at the logic behind the names of monoclonal antibody drugs and implications of the more recent changes in the naming structure.
This blog discusses the three basic types of controls that should be included in a western blot experiment and provides a good starting point for troubleshooting any western blotting woes that you may encounter.
Krishnamoorthy et al. (2018) have identified enucleated neutrophil cell bodies, known as ‘ghosts’, as driving Th17 cell inflammation in severe asthma.
The 2018 Nobel Prize announcements brought exciting news of two prizes awarded in recognition of ground-breaking achievements in the antibody field.
This blog focuses on gastrointestinal organoids and their role in advancing cancer research and therapy.
This blog post discusses the discovery of SUMO and the importance of SUMOylation in cell cycle regulation and cellular proliferation.
Th2A cells are a recently identified subset of T helper cells type 2 (Th2). This blog looks at the role of Th2A cells in allergy.
This blog discusses therapeutic drug monitoring and why it is used for conditions such as IBD to ensure that treatment remains safe and effective.
Baranska et al. (2018) identify macrophage dynamics as being key to tattoos lasting. This blog examines why tattoos are so difficult to remove.
We examine SUMOylation, the effect of their aberrant SUMOylation on signaling pathways and the potential of SUMO inhibitors in cancer therapy.
We examine the history of Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF R), the EGF R family and function along with how EGF R promotes cancer development.
Discover new studies describing the auto-immune mechanism associated with the development of Parkinson's Disease.
This blog describes studies demonstrating the beneficial role of commensal bacteria in treating microbial infections and antibiotic resistance.
Learn how a new tool from Bio-Rad simplifies knowing what markers to use to identify certain immune cell types.
Our second part of BrdU in adult neurogenesis research, describes “the dark side of BrdU” and how you can carefully control BrdU labeling experiments
The first of a two part series describing how BrdU revolutionized the field of neurogenesis.
This blog post describes the mechanisms by which macrophages induce insulin resistance in the obese state.
This blog post will take you through the various gating strategies for effective flow cytometry analysis.
Fluorescent proteins have expanded the capabilities of scientists, thus allowing observations that would not have been possible without them.
This blog post highlights autophagy as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegeneration.
While insects are not the deadliest animals they can significantly impact human health. Learn about the killer bug and Asian giant hornet.
In this blog post we highlight some the current potholes on the road to reproducible antibodies.
This blog post defines critical reagents and best practices for their characterization.
We describe the different types of ELISAs, the advantages and disadvantages of each and what to consider before choosing an ELISA technique.
Learn more about the biology of the transmissible canine cancer CTVT and why it is a biological curiosity of significant magnitude in this blog post.
This blog describes the triggers & mechanisms that lead to death by apoptosis, as well as assays for measuring apoptosis in your research.
Within the immune response to cancer macrophages present both a problem and solution. This post describes how they can assist with tumor clearance.
This blog post provides insight on how to improve your assay sensitivity by selecting antibodies based on binding strength as well as affinity.
This blog post discusses TidyBlot and how it does not detect IgG heavy and light chains in your co-IP experiment.
This blog post provides an update on the current Ebola epidemic, citing evidence that the virus can linger in immune privileged sites inside the body.
This blog post describes the current efforts and streams of thought for generating antibody validation standards to address the scientific reproducibility crisis
This post describes how natural phosphatase inhibitors impact on human health.
This post describes crucial markers and useful markers to study aberrant cell proliferation.
This post describes what tandem dyes are and what to keep in mind when incorporating them into your flow cytometry panels.
This post describes what an isotype control is and how one could be beneficial in your multi-color flow cytometry experiments.
This post describes a few key factors to consider when designing intracellular flow cytometry experiments.
This post provides flow cytometry novices with a basic overview of how to design a multi-color flow cytometry panel.
